Experienced Tech News Writer's Analysis:
Electronic Arts and BioWare have released an official 20-minute gameplay video of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The demonstration showcases the beginning of the game, companions, dialogues, boss battles, and combat mechanics.
The video gives insight into different characters and classes in action, including a Level 1 Rogue named Rook, scout Leis Gardening, ice mage Niv Gallus, and Varrick, as they fight demons to prevent Solas from destroying the Veil. The video also features the attacked city of Minrathous, the battle in the Arlathan forest, a look at the ability wheel during combat, and much more.
The Elven trickster god, Solas, aims to tear down the Veil separating Thedas from the demon world to restore immortality and glory to his people at the cost of many lives. Heroes disrupt his ritual, releasing two of his ancient, powerful enemies who seek to dominate the world. The journey to stop these two powerful deities will span all of Thedas, culminating in an action-packed race through the Tevinter Imperium capital.
Party and Combat System
The party size, including the player character, has been reduced from four to three to make battles more dynamic with a greater focus on individual companions, similar to Mass Effect. Enhanced character interactions allow for strategic combat, where one character weakens enemies while another attacks.
Relationships with companions influence the abilities they can develop, depending on choices made in dialogs and gameplay progression. Companion development and skills are also influenced by the choice of backstory, adding depth to character interactions.
"Each companion you travel with has a complex backstory, unique problems, deep motivations, played out through thoughtfully designed character arcs. Missions unique to them but ultimately tied to a larger story. Along the way, we will make crucial decisions for each of them, sometimes influencing who they are, sometimes painful—I've cried many times—and sometimes very joyful," says Korin Bush.
Combat focuses on evasion, counterattacks, and risky yet powerful moves designed to break through enemy armor layers. The combat strategy centralizes around the ability wheel, which pauses events and allows for command issuance. Companions can serve as support units or healers, following feedback from Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Romantic Relationships
Bush confirmed that players can form romantic relationships with any companion, regardless of the player character's gender or race, expanding on the diverse romantic options in the Dragon Age franchise. The Veilguard will feature intimate scenes similar to previous BioWare games for more mature storytelling.
"They will reference their past experiences or partners... For example, we saw Gardeng. Maybe I'm playing a heterosexual male character who flirts with her, but I decided not to romance her. She could end up with Taash. So my perception, my identity has nothing to do with their identity, and it's expressed very strongly," she states.
Players can flirt with all companions early on and deepen relationships later in the game, leading to more intimate moments. The mature content in The Veilguard aligns with the game's M rating, promising nudity.
Character Editor
Dragon Age: The Veilguard promises extensive hair customization, a feature that has often been lacking in previous BioWare games. With a focus on creating authentic hairstyles based on physics, offerings include a wide variety of natural-looking options.
"We know that when we talk to our fans, the first thing everyone asks about is hair. Every time. So we paid special attention to ensure that they are well represented with hairstyles that look authentic so everyone sees hairstyles that would feel authentic," Bush says.
The Veilguard utilizes hair strand technology, enhancing the organic movement of hair. Improved hair physics have already garnered attention in the released videos.
In addition to hairstyles, the character editor offers a plethora of customization options, including body morphing to choose different body sizes and gender-neutral pronoun selections. Players can choose from human, elf, dwarf, and qunari races, select origins, classes, factions, and play styles.
"For us, it's essential for everyone to see themselves, their idealized version or someone similar in the game, and the character creator truly allows that," Bush explains.
Players can also select their faction when creating a character, with six factions available, including the Antivan Crows, the Grey Wardens, and the Shadows of the Dragon.
Consequences of Previous Games for the Plot
In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, players can carry over decisions from previous games, integrated into the character editor. The feature allows for importing past choices without requiring players to remember every detail, ensuring a seamless transition for new players.
"It has been 10 years since players have played. They may not remember what they did in previous games. They may need a refresher, and we don't want new players to feel like they are missing out. So in the character creator... you can revisit your past adventure," Bush explains.
Regarding the inclusion of past characters like Hawke in Veilguard, Bush hints at the integration of some but not all characters. However, the character editor will not read previous game files, maintaining the intended experience.
The game will not require mandatory account linking, allowing for offline play. Unofficial sources suggest that the new Frostbite Engine version aims for 60 FPS gameplay with performance and quality modes on consoles. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release in the fall of 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Steam and Epic Games Store.
Source: IGN
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